The Telugu Alphabet

Q: What script does Telugu use?

Telugu is written in the Telugu script (తెలుగు లిపి) — a Brahmic abugida unique to the Telugu language. [1] The script has 14 vowels and 36 consonants and is written left to right. Each consonant carries an inherent short /a/ vowel, modified by diacritical vowel signs (matras, మాత్రలు) or suppressed by the virama (్) mark. The Telugu script evolved from the ancient Brahmi script through the Bhattiprolu and Kadamba scripts. It is closely related to the Kannada script and both share ancestry from the medieval Old Kannada script . The Telugu Unicode block (U+0C00–U+0C7F) encodes the complete Telugu script.

Q: How many people speak Telugu?

Telugu is spoken by approximately 82 million people as their mother tongue, making it the fourth most spoken language in India and the most spoken Dravidian language by native speakers. [2] It is the official language of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . Significant Telugu-speaking diaspora communities exist worldwide. The United States has the largest Telugu-speaking community outside India — particularly in the technology sector. Large communities also exist in the Gulf countries, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada . Telugu speakers are sometimes called the "Italians of the East" for their rich cultural traditions.

Q: What language family does Telugu belong to?

Telugu belongs to the South-Central Dravidian branch of the Dravidian language family . [3] Within the Dravidian family, Telugu forms its own subgroup — it is genetically distinct from South Dravidian languages like Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam, having diverged at an earlier stage of the family tree. The Dravidian language family includes approximately 80 languages spoken mainly in South Asia. Telugu is one of the four major Dravidian literary languages alongside Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam . The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru, classifies and documents Telugu as a major South-Central Dravidian language.

Q: Is Telugu a classical language?

Yes — the Government of India granted Telugu classical language status in 2008 , recognising its ancient origin, rich literary heritage, and substantial body of independent literature. [4] Telugu is one of only six languages to have received this designation in India (alongside Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia). The earliest inscription in Telugu dates to the 6th century CE, and Nannaya's Telugu Mahabharata (11th century CE) is considered the first major literary work. The Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters) actively promotes Telugu literature through national awards and fellowships.

Q: What is the Telugu Guninthalu?

The Telugu Guninthalu (గుణింతాలు) is the complete syllable chart showing every combination of the 35 consonants with all 14 vowel forms of the Telugu script. [1] The term means "multiplied/combined letters" — the Telugu equivalent of what is called " Barakhadi " in Hindi or "Gunitakshara" in Kannada. It produces 490 unique syllables that form the building blocks of Telugu words. The Guninthalu is the traditional and most systematic method for learning to read and write Telugu. By studying the chart, learners master all possible consonant-vowel combinations in a single reference table — the foundation of Telugu literacy.

Q: What are the distinctive features of the Telugu script?

The Telugu script has several distinctive phonological features. [1] Like Kannada, Telugu includes both short e (ఎ) and long ee (ఏ) , and both short o (ఒ) and long oo (ఓ) — vowel distinctions absent from the Devanagari script. Telugu also has the distinctive retroflex lateral ళ (lla) , a consonant unique to South Dravidian languages. Uniquely, Telugu has the ఱ (rra) — a retroflex trill consonant found in native Telugu words, which distinguishes it from related Dravidian scripts. Telugu also has an elaborate system of consonant clusters (ottulu, ఒత్తులు) — subscript consonant forms used to write consonant clusters without the inherent vowel.

Q: Where is Telugu spoken?

Telugu is primarily spoken in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana , where it is the official language. [2] Significant Telugu-speaking populations also exist in the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh, as well as in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Telugu diaspora is one of the largest and most influential among Indian linguistic groups. Major Telugu communities exist in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Gulf countries, and Southeast Asia. Telugu-speaking professionals form a significant proportion of India's IT and technology sector workforce globally.

Q: What is the history of Telugu literature?

Telugu has a rich literary tradition spanning over 1,000 years . [4] The earliest Telugu inscription dates to the 6th century CE (Erragudi inscription of Emperor Ashoka includes a bilingual section). Nannaya Bhatta's translation of the Mahabharata in the 11th century CE is considered the first major Telugu literary text, marking the beginning of Telugu literature. The golden age of Telugu literature was during the Vijayanagara Empire (14th–17th century CE), especially under Emperor Krishnadevaraya, himself a celebrated Telugu poet. Classical Telugu poetry is known as Prabandha literature. The modern era saw the Telugu literary renaissance led by scholars like Kandukuri Veeresalingam. The Sahitya Akademi and the Telugu Sahitya Parishad continue to promote Telugu literary culture today.

Q: How does Telugu differ from Kannada?

Telugu and Kannada are distinct languages in different branches of the Dravidian family — Telugu is South-Central Dravidian, while Kannada is South Dravidian. [3] Though both use related scripts derived from a common ancestor, the languages are not mutually intelligible . A Telugu speaker cannot understand Kannada without prior learning, and vice versa. Key differences include Telugu's distinct ఱ (rra) consonant — absent from Kannada — and different vocabulary, grammar, and phonological patterns. Telugu has grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) applied differently from Kannada. Both scripts share the short vowel distinctions ఎ/కె and ఒ/కొ, a feature absent from Devanagari, but the scripts have diverged significantly in letter forms.

Q: Is Telugu in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

Yes — Telugu is listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India as one of the 22 Scheduled Languages of India. [2] This recognition means Telugu is officially acknowledged at the national level and that speakers have the right to use it in official proceedings, examinations, and representation on the Official Language Commission . Additionally, Telugu was granted classical language status in 2008 by the Government of India — a higher recognition given to languages with a documented ancient history and substantial independent literary heritage. This entitles Telugu to dedicated centres of excellence, professorships, and national awards for classical Telugu scholarship and creative writing.

Telugu Alphabet at a Glance

50 letters in the Telugu script: 14 vowels (అచ్చులు) and 36 consonants (హల్లులు), written left to right in the Telugu script — one of the classical scripts of India ^[1]
Telugu (తెలుగు) is spoken by approximately 82 million people as their mother tongue, primarily in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, making it the fourth most spoken language in India and one of the most spoken Dravidian languages in the world ^[2]
Telugu is a South-Central Dravidian language, classified as a classical language of India since 2008, with a rich literary tradition dating back to at least the 11th century CE — Nannaya's translation of the Mahabharata is among the earliest major Telugu literary works ^[4]
The Telugu script (తెలుగు లిపి) is an abugida — a script where each consonant has an inherent /a/ vowel, modified by vowel signs (మాత్రలు, matralu) or suppressed by the virama (్). The script is written left to right and is unique to Telugu ^[1]
The Telugu Guninthalu (గుణింతాలు) shows all 35 consonants combined with 14 vowel forms, producing 490 syllables — the complete syllable inventory used for learning to read and write Telugu fluently ^[1]
Telugu is the official and administrative language of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and is one of the 22 Scheduled Languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India ^[2]
A distinctive feature of the Telugu script is the inclusion of short ఎ (e) and short ఒ (o) vowels — vowel distinctions absent from the Devanagari script used for Hindi and Sanskrit, reflecting the phonological richness of Dravidian languages ^[1]

Telugu Vowel Letters (అచ్చులు)

Telugu has 14 independent vowels (అచ్చులు) written in the Telugu script — అ, ఆ, ఇ, ఈ, ఉ, ఊ, ఋ, ఌ, ఎ, ఏ, ఐ, ఒ, ఓ, ఔ. Each vowel has a standalone letter form used at the start of a word or syllable, and a smaller diacritical matra form (మాత్ర) when following a consonant.

A distinctive feature of the Telugu script is the inclusion of both short e (ఎ) and long ee (ఏ), and both short o (ఒ) and long oo (ఓ) — vowel distinctions absent from the Devanagari script used for Hindi and Sanskrit.

Telugu Vowels (అచ్చులు)

అ

[a]

ఆ

[aa]

ఇ

[i]

ఈ

[ii]

ఉ

[u]

ఊ

[uu]

ఋ

[ri]

ఌ

[l]

ఎ

[e]

ఏ

[ee]

ఐ

[ai]

ఒ

[o]

ఓ

[oo]

ఔ

[au]

అ

[a]

Short open central vowel, like the "u" in "cup". The inherent vowel of every consonant in the Telugu script.

ఆ

[aa]

Long open vowel, like "a" in "father". Twice the duration of the short అ.

ఇ

[i]

Short front close vowel, like "i" in "it". Used at the start of syllables or words.

ఈ

[ii]

Long front close vowel, like "ee" in "feet". Twice the duration of the short ఇ.

ఉ

[u]

Short back rounded vowel, like "u" in "put".

ఊ

[uu]

Long back rounded vowel, like "oo" in "food". Twice the duration of the short ఉ.

ఋ

[ri]

Vocalic r sound, a syllabic "ri". Occurs mainly in Sanskrit loanwords used in Telugu.

ఌ

[l]

Vocalic l — a syllabic lateral sound, extremely rare in Telugu. Retained from Sanskrit for classical and liturgical texts.

ఎ

[e]

Short front mid vowel, like "e" in "pet". Distinctive to Telugu and other South Dravidian scripts — a separate letter from the long ఏ.

ఏ

[ee]

Long front mid vowel, like "a" in "face". Twice the duration of the short ఎ.

ఐ

[ai]

Diphthong combining "a" and "i" sounds, like "i" in "kite".

ఒ

[o]

Short back mid rounded vowel, like "o" in "pot". A separate letter from the long ఓ — a feature unique to South Dravidian scripts.

ఓ

[oo]

Long back mid rounded vowel, like "o" in "bone". Twice the duration of the short ఒ.

ఔ

[au]

Diphthong combining "a" and "u" sounds, like "ow" in "cow".

Telugu Consonant Letters (హల్లులు)

Telugu uses 36 consonants (హల్లులు) in the Telugu script — arranged in the traditional Varga phonetic groups (velar, palatal, retroflex, dental, labial), followed by approximants and sibilants. Each consonant carries an inherent short /a/ vowel that is modified by vowel signs or suppressed by the virama (్).

Telugu includes the distinctively South Dravidian retroflex lateral ళ (lla), and the unique ఱ (rra) — a retroflex trill consonant found in native Telugu vocabulary, absent from most other Indian scripts.

Telugu Consonants (హల్లులు)

క

[ka]

ఖ

[kha]

గ

[ga]

ఘ

[gha]

ఙ

[nga]

చ

[cha]

ఛ

[chha]

జ

[ja]

ఝ

[jha]

ఞ

[nya]

ట

[tta]

ఠ

[ttha]

డ

[dda]

ఢ

[ddha]

ణ

[nna]

త

[ta]

థ

[tha]

ద

[da]

ధ

[dha]

న

[na]

ప

[pa]

ఫ

[pha]

బ

[ba]

భ

[bha]

మ

[ma]

య

[ya]

ర

[ra]

ఱ

[rra]

ల

[la]

ళ

[lla]

వ

[va]

శ

[sha]

ష

[ssa]

స

[sa]

హ

[ha]

క

[ka]

Voiceless velar stop, like "k" in "kite". Carries an inherent short /a/ vowel.

ఖ

[kha]

Aspirated voiceless velar stop, like "k" followed by a puff of air. Occurs mainly in Sanskrit loanwords.

గ

[ga]

Voiced velar stop, like "g" in "gate".

ఘ

[gha]

Aspirated voiced velar stop, like "gh" with a breathy release. Common in Sanskrit loanwords.

ఙ

[nga]

Velar nasal, like "ng" in "sing". Used before velar consonants in the Varga system.

చ

[cha]

Voiceless palatal affricate, like "ch" in "church".

ఛ

[chha]

Aspirated voiceless palatal affricate, like "ch" with a stronger breath. Mostly in loanwords.

జ

[ja]

Voiced palatal affricate, like "j" in "jump".

ఝ

[jha]

Aspirated voiced palatal affricate, like a breathy "j". Common in Sanskrit loanwords.

ఞ

[nya]

Palatal nasal, like "ny" in "canyon". Groups with the palatal consonants in the Varga system.

ట

[tta]

Voiceless retroflex stop, produced with the tongue curled back. Like "t" but with a heavier, darker sound.

ఠ

[ttha]

Aspirated voiceless retroflex stop, like ట with a puff of air. Mainly in Sanskrit loanwords.

డ

[dda]

Voiced retroflex stop, the voiced counterpart of ట. Tongue curled back, giving a heavier "d" sound.

ఢ

[ddha]

Aspirated voiced retroflex stop, like డ with breathy release. Mainly in Sanskrit loanwords.

ణ

[nna]

Retroflex nasal, produced with the tongue curled back. Like "n" but with a heavier, retroflex quality.

త

[ta]

Voiceless dental stop, like "t" in "water" (American English). The tongue touches the back of the upper teeth.

థ

[tha]

Aspirated voiceless dental stop, like "t" with a puff of air. Distinct from the English "th" sound.

ద

[da]

Voiced dental stop, like "d" in "door" but with the tongue touching the back of the upper teeth.

ధ

[dha]

Aspirated voiced dental stop, like a breathy "d". Mainly in Sanskrit loanwords.

న

[na]

Dental nasal, like "n" in "no" but with the tongue against the upper teeth.

ప

[pa]

Voiceless bilabial stop, like "p" in "spin". Unaspirated in native Telugu words.

ఫ

[pha]

Aspirated voiceless bilabial stop, like "p" with a puff of air. Mainly in Sanskrit loanwords.

బ

[ba]

Voiced bilabial stop, like "b" in "ball".

భ

[bha]

Aspirated voiced bilabial stop, like a breathy "b". Common in Sanskrit-origin words used in Telugu.

మ

[ma]

Bilabial nasal, like "m" in "map".

య

[ya]

Palatal approximant, like "y" in "yes".

ర

[ra]

Alveolar trill or tap, like a rolled "r". A common consonant in Telugu native vocabulary.

ఱ

[rra]

Retroflex trill (rra) — a distinctively Telugu consonant used in native words, representing an alveolar or retroflex flap differing from the standard ర.

ల

[la]

Lateral approximant, like "l" in "lake".

ళ

[lla]

Retroflex lateral approximant — a distinctive South Dravidian sound produced with the tongue curled back. Like a heavy "l" with the tongue tip touching the roof of the mouth.

వ

[va]

Labio-dental or bilabial approximant, like "v" in "van" or "w" in "water" depending on position.

శ

[sha]

Voiceless palatal fricative, like "sh" in "shoe". Used in Sanskrit loanwords and modern Telugu.

ష

[ssa]

Voiceless retroflex fricative, like "sh" but with the tongue curled back. Mainly in Sanskrit loanwords.

స

[sa]

Voiceless alveolar fricative, like "s" in "sun".

హ

[ha]

Voiceless glottal fricative, like "h" in "hat".

Telugu Vowel Signs — Matras (మాత్రలు)

Telugu uses 15 vowel signs (matras, మాత్రలు) — diacritical marks attached to consonants to indicate which vowel follows, replacing the inherent /a/ vowel. The matra ి (i) is written before the consonant, though the sound comes after.

The virama (halant ్) suppresses the inherent vowel to form consonant clusters (ottulu, ఒత్తులు). The anusvara (ం) marks nasalisation and the visarga (ః) marks light aspiration — both mainly in Sanskrit loanwords.

Telugu Vowel Signs — Matras (మాత్రలు)

ా

[aa]

ి

[i]

ీ

[ii]

ు

[u]

ూ

[uu]

ృ

[ri]

ె

[e]

ే

[ee]

ై

[ai]

ొ

[o]

ో

[oo]

ౌ

[au]

ం

[am]

ః

[ah]

్

[halant]

ా

[aa]

Long aa matra — extends the inherent vowel to aa, e.g., క + ా = కా (kaa).

ి

[i]

Short i matra — changes consonant vowel to i, e.g., క + ి = కి (ki).

ీ

[ii]

Long ii matra — changes consonant vowel to ii, e.g., క + ీ = కీ (kii).

ు

[u]

Short u matra — changes consonant vowel to u, e.g., క + ు = కు (ku).

ూ

[uu]

Long uu matra — changes consonant vowel to uu, e.g., క + ూ = కూ (kuu).

ృ

[ri]

Vocalic r matra — changes consonant vowel to ri, e.g., క + ృ = కృ (kri). Used in Sanskrit loanwords.

ె

[e]

Short e matra — changes consonant vowel to e, e.g., క + ె = కె (ke).

ే

[ee]

Long ee matra — changes consonant vowel to ee, e.g., క + ే = కే (kee).

ై

[ai]

Ai matra — changes consonant vowel to ai, e.g., క + ై = కై (kai).

ొ

[o]

Short o matra — changes consonant vowel to o, e.g., క + ొ = కొ (ko).

ో

[oo]

Long oo matra — changes consonant vowel to oo, e.g., క + ో = కో (koo).

ౌ

[au]

Au matra — changes consonant vowel to au, e.g., క + ౌ = కౌ (kau).

ం

[am]

Anusvara — nasal mark, adds a nasal sound at the end of a syllable, e.g., క + ం = కం (kam).

ః

[ah]

Visarga — aspirated breath mark, adds a light aspiration after a vowel. Mainly in Sanskrit loanwords.

్

[halant]

Virama (halant) — suppresses the inherent vowel of a consonant, allowing consonant clusters (ottulu) to be formed.

Telugu Digits (తెలుగు సంఖ్యలు)

Telugu traditionally uses Telugu numerals (౦–౯) in formal, literary and classical contexts. These digits are encoded in the Telugu Unicode block and follow the decimal positional system.

In everyday use, modern Telugu speakers also use the common Arabic-Indic numerals (0–9). Telugu number words are distinct — for example, "one" is okaṭi, "two" is reṇḍu, and "three" is mūḍu in Telugu.

Telugu Digits (తెలుగు సంఖ్యలు)

౦

[sunnam]

౧

[okaTi]

౨

[renDu]

౩

[mUDu]

౪

[naalugu]

౫

[aidu]

౬

[aaru]

౭

[Edu]

౮

[enimidi]

౯

[tommidi]

౦

[sunnam]

Zero — sifaru / śūnyam in Telugu. The Telugu digit 0.

౧

[okaTi]

One — okaṭi in Telugu. The Telugu digit 1.

౨

[renDu]

Two — reṇḍu in Telugu. The Telugu digit 2.

౩

[mUDu]

Three — mūḍu in Telugu. The Telugu digit 3.

౪

[naalugu]

Four — nālugu in Telugu. The Telugu digit 4.

౫

[aidu]

Five — aidu in Telugu. The Telugu digit 5.

౬

[aaru]

Six — āru in Telugu. The Telugu digit 6.

౭

[Edu]

Seven — ēḍu in Telugu. The Telugu digit 7.

౮

[enimidi]

Eight — enimidi in Telugu. The Telugu digit 8.

౯

[tommidi]

Nine — tommidi in Telugu. The Telugu digit 9.

।

॥

Telugu Various Signs

The Telugu Unicode block includes a set of additional signs used in classical writing, Vedic notation, and manuscript traditions. The Nukta (఼) adapts Telugu consonants to represent sounds borrowed from Persian, Arabic, and English. The Avagraha (ఽ) marks elision in Sanskrit compounds. The Length Mark (ౕ) and Ai Length Mark (ౖ) are used in Vedic Sanskrit texts written in Telugu script to indicate syllable quantity.

The Siddham / Siddhirastu (౷) is a traditional auspicious invocation found at the beginning of Telugu manuscripts, stone inscriptions, and copper plate grants — literally meaning "may there be success".

Telugu Various Signs:

఼

ఽ

ౕ

ౖ

౷

఼

Nukta (U+0C3C) — a dot-below combining mark that modifies a consonant to represent foreign or borrowed sounds not native to Telugu, such as the "fa" sound in English loanwords

ఽ

Avagraha (U+0C3D) — indicates the elision (dropping) of an initial short "a" vowel in Sanskrit compounds; used in Telugu texts that incorporate Sanskrit verses or loanwords, e.g., "తథఽస్తు" (tathāstu)

ౕ

Length Mark (U+0C55) — a Vedic diacritical mark indicating a metrically long syllable; used in Telugu renderings of Vedic Sanskrit texts to mark syllable quantity

ౖ

Ai Length Mark (U+0C56) — a Vedic mark specifically for the long ai vowel; used alongside the Length Mark in Telugu renderings of Vedic texts for precise metrical notation

౷

Siddham / Siddhirastu (U+0C77) — an auspicious invocation symbol placed at the beginning of Telugu manuscripts, inscriptions, and traditional documents; literally means "may there be success (siddhi)"

Telugu Additional & Historic Consonants

The Telugu Unicode block encodes several archaic and rare consonants found in Old Telugu inscriptions and classical manuscripts. Llla (ఴ, U+0C34) is an archaic three-dot retroflex lateral found in epigraphic records. Tsa (ౘ) and Dza (ౙ) are historic phonetic letters used in older grammars to represent borrowed affricate sounds. Rrra (ౚ) represents a historic retroflex variant.

Archaic Shrii (౜) encodes the auspicious Sanskrit syllable Śrī as a single glyph, a common typographic convention in classical Telugu printing. Nakaara Pollu (ౝ) is an archaic sign for a final nasal, found in certain Old Telugu manuscript traditions. None of these appear in standard modern Telugu orthography.

Telugu Additional & Historic Consonants:

ఴ

[llla]

ౘ

[tsa]

ౙ

[dza]

ౚ

[rrra]

౜

ౝ

ఴ

[llla]

Llla (U+0C34) — an archaic three-dot retroflex lateral found in Old Telugu inscriptions; extremely rare and not used in modern Telugu, but encoded for historical and epigraphic scholarship

ౘ

[tsa]

Tsa (U+0C58) — a historic phonetic variant letter representing the affricate /ts/; used in some older Telugu grammars and manuscripts to transcribe sounds from Persian and other languages; not part of standard modern Telugu

ౙ

[dza]

Dza (U+0C59) — a historic phonetic variant representing the affricate /dz/; used alongside ౘ (Tsa) in older texts for representing borrowed sounds; not in standard modern Telugu orthography

ౚ

[rrra]

Rrra (U+0C5A) — a historic phonetic variant of the retroflex trill/tap, distinct from the standard ఱ (rra); used in some older grammars and dialectal representations of certain Telugu sounds

౜

Archaic Shrii (U+0C5C) — an archaic Telugu ligature encoding the auspicious Sanskrit syllable Śrī (శ్రీ) as a single glyph; found in traditional printed texts and classical manuscripts as a typographic convention

ౝ

Nakaara Pollu (U+0C5D) — an archaic sign used in Old Telugu manuscripts to mark a final nasal sound; functionally similar to the anusvaara but specific to certain classical orthographic traditions of Telugu

Additional Vowels for Sanskrit

The Telugu script has long been used as a vehicle for Sanskrit texts, particularly in the Andhra tradition of Vedic recitation and Sanskrit scholarship. To accurately represent Sanskrit phonology, the Telugu Unicode block includes vowels and vowel signs beyond the standard Telugu set.

Vocalic RR (ౠ, U+0C60) and Vocalic LL (ౡ, U+0C61) are the long counterparts of the vocalic R (ఋ) and vocalic L (ఌ) already in the Telugu vowel set. Their dependent matras — Vowel Sign Vocalic RR (ౄ, U+0C44), Vowel Sign Vocalic L (ౢ, U+0C62), and Vowel Sign Vocalic LL (ౣ, U+0C63) — attach after consonants when these rare Sanskrit vowels follow. These are encountered only in Sanskrit texts rendered in Telugu script.

Additional Vowels for Sanskrit:

ౠ

[rri]

ౡ

[lli]

ౄ

[rri]

ౢ

[li]

ౣ

[lli]

ౠ

[rri]

Vocalic RR (U+0C60) — Sanskrit long syllabic r (ṝ); the long form of the vocalic r (ఋ) already in the Telugu vowel set; used in Sanskrit texts written in the Telugu script

ౡ

[lli]

Vocalic LL (U+0C61) — Sanskrit long syllabic l (ḹ); the long counterpart of the vocalic L (ఌ) already in the Telugu vowel set; very rare, found only in specific Sanskrit texts rendered in Telugu script

ౄ

[rri]

Vowel Sign Vocalic RR (U+0C44) — dependent matra for the long vocalic RR (ṝ); placed after a consonant when this rare Sanskrit vowel follows it, e.g., కౄ (kṝ)

ౢ

[li]

Vowel Sign Vocalic L (U+0C62) — dependent matra for the vocalic L (ḷ); attaches to a consonant to indicate the syllabic lateral sound in Sanskrit loanwords written in Telugu script

ౣ

[lli]

Vowel Sign Vocalic LL (U+0C63) — dependent matra for the long vocalic LL (ḹ); the rarest of the Sanskrit vowel signs in the Telugu block, used only in very specific Sanskrit texts

Signs Used in Sanskrit / Vedic

Three diacritical marks in the Telugu Unicode block are used exclusively in Vedic Sanskrit texts written in the Telugu script. Combining Candrabindu Above (ఀ, U+0C00), added in Unicode 7.0, marks specific nasalisation patterns in Sanskrit recitation as a superscript mark. Candrabindu / Arasunna (ఁ, U+0C01) — known in Telugu as "arasunna" (half sunna) — is a crescent-and-dot combining mark indicating light nasalisation; it appears in Vedic texts and some classical Telugu poetic metres.

Combining Anusvara Above (ఄ, U+0C04) is a superscript anusvara placed above rather than after a syllable, used in specialised Vedic chanting manuscripts where precise nasalisation placement must be notated. These signs are distinct from the standard Telugu Anusvara (ం) and Chandrabindu used in everyday Telugu writing.

Signs Used in Sanskrit / Vedic:

ఀ

ఁ

ఄ

Telugu Guninthalu Chart (తెలుగు గుణింతాలు)

The Telugu Guninthalu (గుణింతాలు) — the Telugu term for the consonant-vowel syllable table — shows all 35 consonants combined with all 14 vowel forms, producing 490 syllables in total. ^[5] Each cell is a standalone Telugu syllable — the fundamental building block of Telugu words. ^[1]

Read by row (consonant) and column (vowel): scroll right to see all 14 vowel forms. The Guninthalu is the essential reference for learning to read and write Telugu fluently.

Consonant	అ (a)	ఆ (aa)	ఇ (i)	ఈ (ii)	ఉ (u)	ఊ (uu)	ఋ (ri)	ఎ (e)	ఏ (ee)	ఐ (ai)	ఒ (o)	ఓ (oo)	ఔ (au)	్ (pure)
క (ka)	క	కా	కి	కీ	కు	కూ	కృ	కె	కే	కై	కొ	కో	కౌ	క్
ఖ (kha)	ఖ	ఖా	ఖి	ఖీ	ఖు	ఖూ	ఖృ	ఖె	ఖే	ఖై	ఖొ	ఖో	ఖౌ	ఖ్
గ (ga)	గ	గా	గి	గీ	గు	గూ	గృ	గె	గే	గై	గొ	గో	గౌ	గ్
ఘ (gha)	ఘ	ఘా	ఘి	ఘీ	ఘు	ఘూ	ఘృ	ఘె	ఘే	ఘై	ఘొ	ఘో	ఘౌ	ఘ్
ఙ (nga)	ఙ	ఙా	ఙి	ఙీ	ఙు	ఙూ	ఙృ	ఙె	ఙే	ఙై	ఙొ	ఙో	ఙౌ	ఙ్
చ (cha)	చ	చా	చి	చీ	చు	చూ	చృ	చె	చే	చై	చొ	చో	చౌ	చ్
ఛ (chha)	ఛ	ఛా	ఛి	ఛీ	ఛు	ఛూ	ఛృ	ఛె	ఛే	ఛై	ఛొ	ఛో	ఛౌ	ఛ్
జ (ja)	జ	జా	జి	జీ	జు	జూ	జృ	జె	జే	జై	జొ	జో	జౌ	జ్
ఝ (jha)	ఝ	ఝా	ఝి	ఝీ	ఝు	ఝూ	ఝృ	ఝె	ఝే	ఝై	ఝొ	ఝో	ఝౌ	ఝ్
ఞ (nya)	ఞ	ఞా	ఞి	ఞీ	ఞు	ఞూ	ఞృ	ఞె	ఞే	ఞై	ఞొ	ఞో	ఞౌ	ఞ్
ట (tta)	ట	టా	టి	టీ	టు	టూ	టృ	టె	టే	టై	టొ	టో	టౌ	ట్
ఠ (ttha)	ఠ	ఠా	ఠి	ఠీ	ఠు	ఠూ	ఠృ	ఠె	ఠే	ఠై	ఠొ	ఠో	ఠౌ	ఠ్
డ (dda)	డ	డా	డి	డీ	డు	డూ	డృ	డె	డే	డై	డొ	డో	డౌ	డ్
ఢ (ddha)	ఢ	ఢా	ఢి	ఢీ	ఢు	ఢూ	ఢృ	ఢె	ఢే	ఢై	ఢొ	ఢో	ఢౌ	ఢ్
ణ (nna)	ణ	ణా	ణి	ణీ	ణు	ణూ	ణృ	ణె	ణే	ణై	ణొ	ణో	ణౌ	ణ్
త (ta)	త	తా	తి	తీ	తు	తూ	తృ	తె	తే	తై	తొ	తో	తౌ	త్
థ (tha)	థ	థా	థి	థీ	థు	థూ	థృ	థె	థే	థై	థొ	థో	థౌ	థ్
ద (da)	ద	దా	ది	దీ	దు	దూ	దృ	దె	దే	దై	దొ	దో	దౌ	ద్
ధ (dha)	ధ	ధా	ధి	ధీ	ధు	ధూ	ధృ	ధె	ధే	ధై	ధొ	ధో	ధౌ	ధ్
న (na)	న	నా	ని	నీ	ను	నూ	నృ	నె	నే	నై	నొ	నో	నౌ	న్
ప (pa)	ప	పా	పి	పీ	పు	పూ	పృ	పె	పే	పై	పొ	పో	పౌ	ప్
ఫ (pha)	ఫ	ఫా	ఫి	ఫీ	ఫు	ఫూ	ఫృ	ఫె	ఫే	ఫై	ఫొ	ఫో	ఫౌ	ఫ్
బ (ba)	బ	బా	బి	బీ	బు	బూ	బృ	బె	బే	బై	బొ	బో	బౌ	బ్
భ (bha)	భ	భా	భి	భీ	భు	భూ	భృ	భె	భే	భై	భొ	భో	భౌ	భ్
మ (ma)	మ	మా	మి	మీ	ము	మూ	మృ	మె	మే	మై	మొ	మో	మౌ	మ్
య (ya)	య	యా	యి	యీ	యు	యూ	యృ	యె	యే	యై	యొ	యో	యౌ	య్
ర (ra)	ర	రా	రి	రీ	రు	రూ	రృ	రె	రే	రై	రొ	రో	రౌ	ర్
ఱ (rra)	ఱ	ఱా	ఱి	ఱీ	ఱు	ఱూ	ఱృ	ఱె	ఱే	ఱై	ఱొ	ఱో	ఱౌ	ఱ్
ల (la)	ల	లా	లి	లీ	లు	లూ	లృ	లె	లే	లై	లొ	లో	లౌ	ల్
ళ (lla)	ళ	ళా	ళి	ళీ	ళు	ళూ	ళృ	ళె	ళే	ళై	ళొ	ళో	ళౌ	ళ్
వ (va)	వ	వా	వి	వీ	వు	వూ	వృ	వె	వే	వై	వొ	వో	వౌ	వ్
శ (sha)	శ	శా	శి	శీ	శు	శూ	శృ	శె	శే	శై	శొ	శో	శౌ	శ్
ష (ssa)	ష	షా	షి	షీ	షు	షూ	షృ	షె	షే	షై	షొ	షో	షౌ	ష్
స (sa)	స	సా	సి	సీ	సు	సూ	సృ	సె	సే	సై	సొ	సో	సౌ	స్
హ (ha)	హ	హా	హి	హీ	హు	హూ	హృ	హె	హే	హై	హొ	హో	హౌ	హ్

Telugu Guninthalu with Pronunciation (తెలుగు గుణింతాలు)

The Roman pronunciation guide is shown below each Telugu syllable. Use this table to learn how each of the 490 Guninthalu syllables is spoken — matching the Telugu script form to its English-friendly romanisation.

Each cell shows the Telugu syllable on top and its plain Roman transliteration below. Scroll right to see all 14 vowel forms for each of the 35 consonants.

Consonant	అ (a)	ఆ (aa)	ఇ (i)	ఈ (ii)	ఉ (u)	ఊ (uu)	ఋ (ri)	ఎ (e)	ఏ (ee)	ఐ (ai)	ఒ (o)	ఓ (oo)	ఔ (au)	్ (pure)
కkaa	కkaa	కాkaaa	కిkai	కీkaii	కుkau	కూkauu	కృkari	కెkae	కేkaee	కైkaai	కొkao	కోkaoo	కౌkaau	క్ka
ఖkhaa	ఖkhaa	ఖాkhaaa	ఖిkhai	ఖీkhaii	ఖుkhau	ఖూkhauu	ఖృkhari	ఖెkhae	ఖేkhaee	ఖైkhaai	ఖొkhao	ఖోkhaoo	ఖౌkhaau	ఖ్kha
గgaa	గgaa	గాgaaa	గిgai	గీgaii	గుgau	గూgauu	గృgari	గెgae	గేgaee	గైgaai	గొgao	గోgaoo	గౌgaau	గ్ga
ఘghaa	ఘghaa	ఘాghaaa	ఘిghai	ఘీghaii	ఘుghau	ఘూghauu	ఘృghari	ఘెghae	ఘేghaee	ఘైghaai	ఘొghao	ఘోghaoo	ఘౌghaau	ఘ్gha
ఙngaa	ఙngaa	ఙాngaaa	ఙిngai	ఙీngaii	ఙుngau	ఙూngauu	ఙృngari	ఙెngae	ఙేngaee	ఙైngaai	ఙొngao	ఙోngaoo	ఙౌngaau	ఙ్nga
చchaa	చchaa	చాchaaa	చిchai	చీchaii	చుchau	చూchauu	చృchari	చెchae	చేchaee	చైchaai	చొchao	చోchaoo	చౌchaau	చ్cha
ఛchhaa	ఛchhaa	ఛాchhaaa	ఛిchhai	ఛీchhaii	ఛుchhau	ఛూchhauu	ఛృchhari	ఛెchhae	ఛేchhaee	ఛైchhaai	ఛొchhao	ఛోchhaoo	ఛౌchhaau	ఛ్chha
జjaa	జjaa	జాjaaa	జిjai	జీjaii	జుjau	జూjauu	జృjari	జెjae	జేjaee	జైjaai	జొjao	జోjaoo	జౌjaau	జ్ja
ఝjhaa	ఝjhaa	ఝాjhaaa	ఝిjhai	ఝీjhaii	ఝుjhau	ఝూjhauu	ఝృjhari	ఝెjhae	ఝేjhaee	ఝైjhaai	ఝొjhao	ఝోjhaoo	ఝౌjhaau	ఝ్jha
ఞnyaa	ఞnyaa	ఞాnyaaa	ఞిnyai	ఞీnyaii	ఞుnyau	ఞూnyauu	ఞృnyari	ఞెnyae	ఞేnyaee	ఞైnyaai	ఞొnyao	ఞోnyaoo	ఞౌnyaau	ఞ్nya
టttaa	టttaa	టాttaaa	టిttai	టీttaii	టుttau	టూttauu	టృttari	టెttae	టేttaee	టైttaai	టొttao	టోttaoo	టౌttaau	ట్tta
ఠtthaa	ఠtthaa	ఠాtthaaa	ఠిtthai	ఠీtthaii	ఠుtthau	ఠూtthauu	ఠృtthari	ఠెtthae	ఠేtthaee	ఠైtthaai	ఠొtthao	ఠోtthaoo	ఠౌtthaau	ఠ్ttha
డddaa	డddaa	డాddaaa	డిddai	డీddaii	డుddau	డూddauu	డృddari	డెddae	డేddaee	డైddaai	డొddao	డోddaoo	డౌddaau	డ్dda
ఢddhaa	ఢddhaa	ఢాddhaaa	ఢిddhai	ఢీddhaii	ఢుddhau	ఢూddhauu	ఢృddhari	ఢెddhae	ఢేddhaee	ఢైddhaai	ఢొddhao	ఢోddhaoo	ఢౌddhaau	ఢ్ddha
ణnnaa	ణnnaa	ణాnnaaa	ణిnnai	ణీnnaii	ణుnnau	ణూnnauu	ణృnnari	ణెnnae	ణేnnaee	ణైnnaai	ణొnnao	ణోnnaoo	ణౌnnaau	ణ్nna
తtaa	తtaa	తాtaaa	తిtai	తీtaii	తుtau	తూtauu	తృtari	తెtae	తేtaee	తైtaai	తొtao	తోtaoo	తౌtaau	త్ta
థthaa	థthaa	థాthaaa	థిthai	థీthaii	థుthau	థూthauu	థృthari	థెthae	థేthaee	థైthaai	థొthao	థోthaoo	థౌthaau	థ్tha
దdaa	దdaa	దాdaaa	దిdai	దీdaii	దుdau	దూdauu	దృdari	దెdae	దేdaee	దైdaai	దొdao	దోdaoo	దౌdaau	ద్da
ధdhaa	ధdhaa	ధాdhaaa	ధిdhai	ధీdhaii	ధుdhau	ధూdhauu	ధృdhari	ధెdhae	ధేdhaee	ధైdhaai	ధొdhao	ధోdhaoo	ధౌdhaau	ధ్dha
నnaa	నnaa	నాnaaa	నిnai	నీnaii	నుnau	నూnauu	నృnari	నెnae	నేnaee	నైnaai	నొnao	నోnaoo	నౌnaau	న్na
పpaa	పpaa	పాpaaa	పిpai	పీpaii	పుpau	పూpauu	పృpari	పెpae	పేpaee	పైpaai	పొpao	పోpaoo	పౌpaau	ప్pa
ఫphaa	ఫphaa	ఫాphaaa	ఫిphai	ఫీphaii	ఫుphau	ఫూphauu	ఫృphari	ఫెphae	ఫేphaee	ఫైphaai	ఫొphao	ఫోphaoo	ఫౌphaau	ఫ్pha
బbaa	బbaa	బాbaaa	బిbai	బీbaii	బుbau	బూbauu	బృbari	బెbae	బేbaee	బైbaai	బొbao	బోbaoo	బౌbaau	బ్ba
భbhaa	భbhaa	భాbhaaa	భిbhai	భీbhaii	భుbhau	భూbhauu	భృbhari	భెbhae	భేbhaee	భైbhaai	భొbhao	భోbhaoo	భౌbhaau	భ్bha
మmaa	మmaa	మాmaaa	మిmai	మీmaii	ముmau	మూmauu	మృmari	మెmae	మేmaee	మైmaai	మొmao	మోmaoo	మౌmaau	మ్ma
యyaa	యyaa	యాyaaa	యిyai	యీyaii	యుyau	యూyauu	యృyari	యెyae	యేyaee	యైyaai	యొyao	యోyaoo	యౌyaau	య్ya
రraa	రraa	రాraaa	రిrai	రీraii	రుrau	రూrauu	రృrari	రెrae	రేraee	రైraai	రొrao	రోraoo	రౌraau	ర్ra
ఱrraa	ఱrraa	ఱాrraaa	ఱిrrai	ఱీrraii	ఱుrrau	ఱూrrauu	ఱృrrari	ఱెrrae	ఱేrraee	ఱైrraai	ఱొrrao	ఱోrraoo	ఱౌrraau	ఱ్rra
లlaa	లlaa	లాlaaa	లిlai	లీlaii	లుlau	లూlauu	లృlari	లెlae	లేlaee	లైlaai	లొlao	లోlaoo	లౌlaau	ల్la
ళllaa	ళllaa	ళాllaaa	ళిllai	ళీllaii	ళుllau	ళూllauu	ళృllari	ళెllae	ళేllaee	ళైllaai	ళొllao	ళోllaoo	ళౌllaau	ళ్lla
వvaa	వvaa	వాvaaa	విvai	వీvaii	వుvau	వూvauu	వృvari	వెvae	వేvaee	వైvaai	వొvao	వోvaoo	వౌvaau	వ్va
శshaa	శshaa	శాshaaa	శిshai	శీshaii	శుshau	శూshauu	శృshari	శెshae	శేshaee	శైshaai	శొshao	శోshaoo	శౌshaau	శ్sha
షssaa	షssaa	షాssaaa	షిssai	షీssaii	షుssau	షూssauu	షృssari	షెssae	షేssaee	షైssaai	షొssao	షోssaoo	షౌssaau	ష్ssa
సsaa	సsaa	సాsaaa	సిsai	సీsaii	సుsau	సూsauu	సృsari	సెsae	సేsaee	సైsaai	సొsao	సోsaoo	సౌsaau	స్sa
హhaa	హhaa	హాhaaa	హిhai	హీhaii	హుhau	హూhauu	హృhari	హెhae	హేhaee	హైhaai	హొhao	హోhaoo	హౌhaau	హ్ha

అ

[a]

ఆ

[aa]

ఇ

[i]

ఈ

[ii]

ఉ

[u]

ఊ

[uu]

ఋ

[ri]

ఌ

[l]

ఎ

[e]

ఏ

[ee]

ఐ

[ai]

ఒ

[o]

ఓ

[oo]

ఔ

[au]

క

[ka]

ఖ

[kha]

గ

[ga]

ఘ

[gha]

ఙ

[nga]

చ

[cha]

ఛ

[chha]

జ

[ja]

ఝ

[jha]

ఞ

[nya]

ట

[tta]

ఠ

[ttha]

డ

[dda]

ఢ

[ddha]

ణ

[nna]

త

[ta]

థ

[tha]

ద

[da]

ధ

[dha]

న

[na]

ప

[pa]

ఫ

[pha]

బ

[ba]

భ

[bha]

మ

[ma]

య

[ya]

ర

[ra]

ఱ

[rra]

ల

[la]

ళ

[lla]

వ

[va]

శ

[sha]

ష

[ssa]

స

[sa]

హ

[ha]

ళ

[lla]

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What script does Telugu use?

How many people speak Telugu?

What language family does Telugu belong to?

Is Telugu a classical language?

What is the Telugu Guninthalu?

What are the distinctive features of the Telugu script?

Where is Telugu spoken?

What is the history of Telugu literature?

How does Telugu differ from Kannada?

Is Telugu in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

References:

[1] Unicode Consortium. "Telugu Unicode Block (U+0C00–U+0C7F)" — defines the Telugu script block encoding vowels (అచ్చులు), consonants (హల్లులు), vowel signs (మాత్రలు), digits and combining marks for this major classical language of India. Retrieved from Unicode Standard — Telugu Block
[2] Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. "Census of India 2011 — Language Data" — records Telugu as the mother tongue of approximately 74 million people; official language of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and one of 22 Scheduled Languages in the Eighth Schedule. Census of India, Government of India.
[3] Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru (Ministry of Education, Government of India). "Telugu Language" — CIIL documents Telugu (ISO 639-3: tel), a South-Central Dravidian language with classical language status (granted 2008) and a literary tradition over 1,000 years old. Retrieved from Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL)
[4] Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters), New Delhi. "Telugu Literature" — promotes Telugu literature, one of India's oldest classical traditions; Nannaya's 11th-century Mahabharata translation is among the earliest major works. Retrieved from Sahitya Akademi
[5] EasyTeluguTyping.com. "Telugu Guninthalu Chart (తెలుగు గుణింతాలు)" — Telugu Guninthalu chart reference from EasyTeluguTyping.com. Retrieved from EasyTeluguTyping.com — Telugu Guninthalu